Hit-and-run driver kills 72-year-old man in Santa Ana

A 72-year-old man was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver as he waited for a bus with his wife in Santa Ana early Tuesday morning, police said.

Dien Van Le was waiting at a bus stop in the 2200 block of West McFadden Avenue around 4:40 a.m. when a Nissan SUV drove into the opposite lane of traffic, over a curb and onto a sidewalk, where it struck Le and his wife, according to Cpl. Anthony Bertagna, spokesman for the Santa Ana Police Department.

The vehicle pulled into a nearby parking area, turned around and slowed to a stop at the accident scene, Bertagna said. The driver “did not get out, did not render aid and did not call police” before driving away, Bertagna said.

Le was taken to UC Irvine Medical Center in Orange, where he died of his injuries. His wife was also hurt, but remained in stable condition on Tuesday afternoon, Bertagna said.

Bertagna described the vehicle as a black or dark gray Nissan SUV that likely sustained front-end damage in the crash.

Police did not offer any information about the driver, and Bertagna said it was unclear if alcohol was a factor in the fatal crash.

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